Search hotels in Kritsa

Relax by taking the bus to Krista, a friendly village 11 km inland from Agios Nikolaos. Hike the gorge, follow a little trail down to Panagia Kera, a Medieval Byzantine church with preserved frescoes, enjoy almond juice with cinnamon, sit quietly among the twisted trunks of really old olive trees as shepherds pass with their bell-tolling flock, and shop for beautiful crochet linens and weavings made in house all without the need to have a car.

This mountain village takes you away from the hordes of crowds in the main town and gives you an insight into the island's life. The buses stop in the village centre which has shops selling local wares, taverna's and coffee houses. We meandered through the pretty lanes discovering yet more.

While in Kritsa we stayed in ARGYRO RENT ROOMS which is at the start of the traditional, picturesque village. We stayed in the presidential suite for two weeks: two rooms with a seating area and private bathroom. This was well furnished with very comfortable beds and plenty of storage. The air conditioning in the two main rooms worked superbly which was important as we were there when the temperature outside was rarely below the mid 30s. The shower room has superb water pressure. There is a small fridge in the sitting area which is great for cooling the local water from the well up the road: all the locals go there!! Argyro is a superb host, well helped by Katerina and on occasion some of her family members.The food is superb: made from local ingredients, indeed much of it from Argyro's own farm. The breakfast is only 6 euros which is superb for what you get: yoghurt; fresh orange juice; eggs etc etc.We had an evening meal there throughout our two week stay: it was different every night and always delicious!! What a joy to eat beneath the well laden grape vines and the lemon and pomegranate trees! Did I mention that a half litre of Argyro's own wine is only 3euros??? Kritsa is a genuine wee village too with interesting winding lanes and a good variety of shops. We went there on a friend's recommendation that was so good we felt sure we would be disappointed... Far from it!! Everything was great. So, if you want excellent value in a superb location but also want to experience a bit of the real Crete, don't delay and go! We will be going back!! So much better than the big generic hotels that could be anywhere!!